Sunlight streamed through the undraped window adjacent to Aria's twin sized bed, the warmth tickling her out of a well-deserved slumber. Her eyes opened groggily at first, and then she became puzzled over how she'd arrived in her position. The last thing she remembered was falling asleep on the couch…atop of Ezra. She smiled at the thought, remembering the enjoyable night they'd spent together. But where was he now? Aria sat up in bed, her dark hair a chaos of tangled curls falling down her back. She walked through to the main room of the apartment, but Ezra was nowhere to be seen. She knew it was too good to be true. Ezra had bailed on her. Was it because of her awkward clumsiness? Or had she said or done something to scare him off? Just when she thought that this guy was going to be someone different, someone special, and now he had run-

In the midst of Aria's brain wrecking frenzy, she hadn't spotted the piece of paper that lay on top of the kitchen counter. It was a note, obviously from Ezra. She opened the paper and took in his scrawl of messy handwriting.

Aria,

I had the most wonderful night with you, and I for one don't want it to end. Meet me at the same spot in Central Park as yesterday whenever you're ready. I have coffee!

P.S. I took off your jumper last night before I took you to bed. You looked hot. I hope you don't mind.

-Ezra

Aria grinned wide. He hadn't run away, after all. He wanted to meet her for coffee, continue their date, and that sure seemed like he shared the same feelings for her as she did him. As Aria reread the note, she stopped in alarm realising that Ezra had undressed her. She was only wearing a polka-dot blue bra and her jeans from last night. He had seen her in her underwear when she hadn't even been aware of it happening. And it wasn't even sophisticated underwear, like a woman of the age he thought she was should be wearing – it was from the bargain bucket at the Sears junior section. She suddenly felt very sheepish about their meeting this morning. But coffee did sound inviting, as she had run out of the stuff a couple of weeks ago and hadn't gotten round to replacing it.

Aria quickly jumped in the shower and let the warm water fall over her body, grateful for the steam keeping her hot. She felt a little shivery still after the last night's events of falling in the ice, and hoped that she wouldn't get sick. All of a suddennshe remembered it was Saturday, which made her relax completely knowing she wasn't due back into work until Monday. Her mood uplifted immediately, knowing that this was going to be a great day.

After showering and picking out a cute, but temperature appropriate outfit, Aria dried her chocolate brown locks and bundled them into a ponytail, before applying her light, daily makeup and brushing her teeth. She examined herself carefully, making sure to take extra time on defining her eyes with a pencil eyeliner, but only to fail because of her shaking hands. This time, the shaking hands weren't caused solely by nerves, but by her almost uncontrollable excitement to see Ezra again. Now, Aria felt she knew Ezra more, which lifted the bar on the awkward first date. Today, she hoped to have fun with Ezra without the feeling of having to reserve herself too much.

*Ezra's POV*

It wasn't long past 10am when Ezra arrived at the coffee stand in Central Park. Normally he didn't use this stand, but he was sure it would become one of his regulars considering it was the place he and Aria had shared their first memory together. He thought of his date yesterday with Aria. It sure had been the most exciting, non-stereotypical and wild first date he had ever been on, and he'd had an excellent night. He had been reluctant to leave Aria's apartment, in all honesty, but what kind of guy would that make him out to be if he stayed over at a girl's apartment on the first date. He didn't want Aria to get the wrong idea. Aria was special, and he wanted to pace things as slowly – or as fast – as she was comfortable with, which was why he had grudgingly lifted her petite, sleeping body off his, and taken her through to her bedroom. It had been around 2am, and Ezra had been drifting in and out of sleep for the past couple of hours, so that was another reason for his decision to head back to his own apartment.

It hadn't been how he had imagined it, the bedroom. It was much more plain and simplistic, almost as if her decorating money had been cut short here, and the bedroom had been the room to sacrifice, but it still served its purpose and had that Aria feel about it, once again. Ezra had placed the small brunette down on the mattress, and watched as she stirred slightly in her slumber, struggling to find a comfortable spot to settle in. He watched as a hint of a frown began to form on her brow, and as she squirmed within the thick, wool knit sweater she had changed into earlier. Swiftly, and terrified she'd wake up, he eased the sweater off Aria's warm body. Ezra gasped when he saw she was wearing nothing more than her bra, and quickly covered her with the duvet, somehow feeling that he was violating her privacy. She wouldn't know, obviously; Aria was peacefully sleeping, her short breaths an indicator if not a guarantee. Most guys would have taken advantage of the fact that a half-naked and extremely attractive woman was sleeping next to them. But Ezra wasn't 'most guys', in fact, he felt guilty just being in the room. He slipped out of the apartment, writing a quick note and leaving it in a place where he hoped was obvious enough for her to find.

Now as he was waiting for Aria to show up, he realised that he should have asked for her cell phone number. Who knew how long she could be? She seemed to be a pretty deep sleeper, so Ezra could be waiting for hours. But he wasn't grudging his time at all, any time he got to spend with this intriguing and beautiful woman was something he was extremely grateful for. Ezra glanced around the park; the trees were no longer illuminated by the lights as they were last night, and the first signs of spring were starting to show as the sun shone through the almost bare branches. He watched as business partners walked through the park, deep in discussion about issues that Ezra didn't care for and probably never would. He smiled as he witnessed a frantic mother chase her dribbling toddler who was heading for a rather murky looking puddle, but his heart began to pound with excitement when he caught sight of a small brunette heading his way. Aria was searching the vicinity for him, and her face lit up in delight as he raised from his spot and her eyes landed on him. She'd pulled her hair up today, exposing her neck which looked extremely kissable, and Ezra's mouth watered at the thought of getting close enough to her to be able to smell the sweet scent of her perfume. Ezra walked towards her, closing the distance between them, and Aria waved as she wove through the littered crowed of people. "Hey!" She said as she finally reached him.

"Hey yourself," Ezra replied, opening his arms to wrap her in a quick embrace. At first, she seemed to shy away slightly, but after a second or so, a determined look crossed her face and she accepted the embrace, relaxing into it almost. Ezra thought he'd take the chance while he could, and buried his nose into Aria's hair, inhaling her precious scent. "How are you this morning?" He asked, breaking away from the hug.

"I'm very well, thanks to you," Aria replied, a glint of something Ezra couldn't quite decipher in her intense, green eyes. "How about you?"

A list of replies ran through Ezra's head at that moment, ranging from 'good' to 'absolutely honoured to be in your presence!' but he settled with one somewhere in the middle. "Great." And it was the truth.

As the pair walked towards the coffee stand, they were close enough that their elbows were bumping together and all Ezra could think about was tangling his fingers in hers. He was sure that she was feeling this intense connection too. Just by looking at her, he could tell that she was as eager for them to get to know each other more, not only to discover each other's personality, but in other ways too. He watched her as she peered over the heads of the crowded line to read the coffee menu, and took in the way her blue jeans hugged her small waist. "What're you having?" Aria asked him, bringing Ezra back to reality.

"I think I'll have an Americano," He decided, pulling out a ten dollar bill. "You?" He began to walk further into the line, getting ready to order.

But Aria rushed forward, slapping her money down on the counter before Ezra could get anywhere near. "I'll take two Americanos, please," He heard her say, a smile in her soft voice.

*Aria's POV*

"I was going to pay for those, silly," Ezra said in Aria's ear, making her jump in surprise. She hadn't expected to feel his warm breath on her neck just yet, but she wasn't complaining.

"Well, you covered dinner last night, so I thought it was only fair for me to buy you a coffee," Aria said, turning around to face Ezra's distractingly handsome face. She took in his chiselled jaw, and the small amount of stubble which grew across his cheeks and her heart did a flip. He was so hot. So hot that Aria wondered if he was out-of-her-league-hot, but the thought was gone almost immediately when Ezra's hand snaked into hers, and he turned her round towards the coffee stand. "Thank you," She managed to tell the barista, stunned by the feeling of Ezra's hand in hers. On this cold morning, he made her whole body feel warm and snug, and he made her mood feel exactly that of his; happy and carefree.

They took a walk around one of the park's ponds, sipping at their coffee vigorously to try and stay warm. "So, what do you work as?" Ezra suddenly asked, catching Aria off guard. She felt a little pathetic telling him, he obviously expected her to have some major career and Aria was worried that by telling him of her 'temporary' situation job, she would disappoint him.

"I work in a law firm, as a receptionist. It's just temporary, right now, until I can get back on my feet, kind of," Aria mumbled, looking anywhere but Ezra's face. She couldn't bear to know if he thought less of her because she had a crappy job, and wasn't college educated.

"Aria," Ezra said, taking both Aria's hands in his. "You don't have to feel bad about it. This is part of who you are, and I'll have you know that you are an amazing young woman who I'm really, really beginning to like. I can see how much you wished that you could have gone to school here in the city, but remember; college isn't everything. There I more to life than staying up to irrational hours of the morning trying to finish a paper that the professor glances at once. Believe me when I say this; I don't think any different of you from what you just told me. I still want to know you, in fact, you've been all I can think about these past few days because there is something about you that's different from anyone else I've ever met. You have this wonderful, quirkiness that I'd never expect to find in someone, and your beauty is so pure and radiates throughout you. I really do like you, Aria. I can only hope that you share these feelings."

Aria was stunned. Never in her life had anyone said something to her that could actually slap her stubborn side in the face. Ezra was right. Of course he wouldn't think differently of her; he was a kind, respectful and amazing man who seemed like he would stick by her through anything. He was interested in her, and he embraced her quirky side; something that her only previous boyfriend, Noel Khan, hadn't been a fan of. Ezra made her feel happy, an emotion she hadn't truly felt for a long time. No words could describe what she wanted to say to him, so instead she let her body and feelings go, and before she knew it her lips were connecting with Ezra's. There was no reaction from Ezra at first, and Aria began to panic, thinking she had moved on him too soon, but after a second, Ezra dropped his coffee cup and slid his strong, writer's hands around Aria's waste and began to kiss Aria back. It was gentle at first; the two not sure exactly what to do with themselves. But eventually Aria began to sink deeper into the kiss, thirsting for more of Ezra's sweet taste. She stopped, however, when she felt hot liquid pooling around her feet, and gasped when she noticed coffee all over her black studded pumps. "What's wrong?" Ezra asked, alarmed at first.

Aria pointed to her feet and burst out laughing. To think that this was the way they met, and the way that they were ending their first kiss. Maybe fate was trying to tell Aria something about her choice of footwear.

"Oh my gosh! Did it burn you or anything? Are you okay?" Ezra asked frantically, searching in his jacket pocket for a napkin, Aria presumed.

"Ezra, I'm fine," Aria assured. "It's just my shoes…again. I guess you were right, my shoes do seem to like my drinks more than me!"

Ezra began to smirk, and before they knew it, the couple were both in fits of hysterical laughter just as they had been the night before. "I don't think I've ever laughed this much with anyone in my entire life before," he said, his eyes sincere. Aria felt his stare, and gave Ezra a small smile. The truth was, Aria hadn't laughed in months, either and she had been enjoying the fun she'd had over the past couple of days more than anything. Up until now, settling in and trying to keep on top of the rent was the main priorities to Aria. After her experience with Ezra recently, she had realised that spending time to treat herself once in a while or meeting up with a friend was something she needed to have in her life. She needed to focus more on herself; it had been as if she was a living robot, doing the same things each and every day, barely any variations involved in her busy schedule. And it wasn't healthy, anyone could notice how much it was draining Aria, mentally and physically.

"This has been really fun," Aria said, lacing her hand in Ezra's and steering him towards the trash can. "Being with you…it makes me happy. You make me feel good." She blushed at her awkwardness, and dared a small glance at Ezra.

"I'm glad you've had fun, Aria," He grinned, showing true elation.

The pair walked hand in hand through the park, only stopping when Aria's stomach began to growl, demanding her to eat. Ezra chuckled, shaking his head. "I suppose you'd like some breakfast, then?"

Aria didn't want to seem like a pig, but the rumbling grew fiercer, and she didn't see any way she could avoid eating. "Well, I think my stomach is being a little insistent, so I'm going to have to take you up on that offer," Aria said, pressing hard on her stomach. "Not that you're paying!" She quickly added, mortified in case she had offended him.

"Are you any good at cooking?" He asked, a curious smile gracing his face as if he were contemplating an idea.

"I guess so?" Aria questioned, admiring Ezra's adorableness.

"Well how about I buy and you cook? We'll go to my apartment, there's a grocery store just around the corner we can get the supplies from."

Aria stared at him for a minute before her stomach cried out, once again, making the decision for her. "Okay, let's do it!"

Twenty minutes and three bags of groceries later, Aria was following Ezra along the hallway to his apartment. The building, although aged about the same as hers, was much more elaborate and expensive looking; the hallways were carpeted and the elevator wasn't creaky and shifty. Aria was busy looking at the wonderfully detailed ceiling cornice, that she didn't notice Ezra come to a stop and almost bumped right into him. She looked up at the tall door he was unlocking, and saw a plaque which read "3B" in small, gold lettering. As soon as the door opened, Aria could tell the apartment was big just by the echo the sound of her shoes made on the hardwood floor. The room was large and painted a deep maroon red on one of the back walls, and on the others hung vintage film posters. She glanced around at the plush looking couches, and the office area which was sectioned off by a bookshelf in the corner. It actually took Aria a moment to realise that there was only one room, besides the bathroom, to the whole apartment. It was so large, but yet so brought together by the way Ezra had sectioned the room off. "Nice place," Aria said, taking her jacket off and laying it over the back of the couch.

"Oh, thanks. It's due for a spring clean soon, though. You never know what I might find under that bed; last year's clear out reunited me with one of my favourite books," Ezra babbled as he unloaded the groceries into the fridge.

Aria could tell he was nervous; he tended to carry on like this when he had an anxious streak in him, she had noticed. She chuckled a little at his humour. She sure was a sucker for wittiness. "So, what am I cooking then?" she asked, taking in the variety of ingredients Ezra had purchased at the store.

"Well. Since you ever so kindly helped to pick out most of this stuff, I'll leave it up to you," Ezra said, placing the perishable goods he'd bought in the pantry. "Wait…where did these Froot Loops come from?" Ezra inquired, his face a mixture of confusion and amusement as he lifted the box of cereal.

Aria grinned, and couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe you didn't notice I put those in there!" She laughed, taking them from him and opening the packet.

"I can't believe I didn't see you put those in there! What the hell even are they?" Ezra said in mock disgust, as Aria dunked her hand in the box and returned it to her mouth with a handful of colourful cereals.

"I got them for munching on…while I make us brunch," Aria said in between bites.

Ezra looked at her, his face softening as the corners of his lips turned upwards. "Would I like them?"

"No," Aria said definitely, wrapping her arms around the box protectively.

"How do you know? I mean, that kiss we shared earlier wasn't exactly deep enough for you to examine my taste buds…" Ezra edged closer to her, unravelling the box out of her small arms and encasing her hands in his.

"Are you suggesting something, Mr Fitz?" Aria's reply was throaty, her nerves on high alert and the butterflies were returning to her stomach.

"I think we need to find out if Froot Loops are up to my cereal standards," Ezra replied, placing his lips gently on hers. Before she knew what was happening, Aria pushed herself into the kiss, her hunger for Ezra was stronger now than it had been earlier, and it scared her slightly how heated the moment was getting. Ezra's strength matched hers, and their tongues began to fight for dominance as he hoisted her onto the kitchen counter to ease the rather large height difference. She moaned softly as Ezra's hands ran along her back, and goose bumps rose on her ivory skin as he chewed softly on her lip. She caressed his face in her hands, leaving sweet kisses along Ezra's long neck, pleasure filling her body as he returned the gesture. Her hands knotted in his chocolate brown curls when he kissed her harder, their mouths exploring each other's zealous bodies and the passion between them nothing like Aria had ever before experienced. Aria pulled back, gasping for air, as Ezra's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What?" She asked, panting.

Ezra smoothed Aria's flyaway hairs down before pursing his swollen lips. "I don't think I'm much of a Froot Loop fan, if I must say," Ezra confessed, causing Aria to giggle. She had completely forgotten about that. He held her beautiful face delicately in his hands. "I much prefer the taste of you, Aria Montgomery."

Hello! So, this was chapter 3 of The Love in Me Is You. Thank you so much for all your lovely reviews, I honestly can't believe there are FIFTEEN! And also, to those of you who have favourited and/or followed, thank you too! This chapter was a bit of a struggle for me to write as I had school this week, and it's kind of eventless, but I felt it better that Aria and Ezra get to know each other properly before the real fun starts. I would still love to hear your feedback on my story (if you like where it's going, how I can improve anything etc.) so reviews are most definitely welcome! Thanks again for taking the time out of your day to read this, it means a lot to me! Xoxo – Kate :)